Marquise Technologies to provide first look at IMF-TV with ProRes at NAB

Television today is not just about receiving content for transmission, it is also about producing and selling content worldwide. Exchanging and managing the multiple versions of programming needed for this expanded business model must be done efficiently, both technically and financially.

The advantages of IMF workflows are well documented in theatrical post-production, but IMF adoption in television has been very limited so far. Broadcasters have very different distribution paths and often work on tighter schedules. Furthermore, many broadcasters currently use ProRes for both long-term conservation and as a mezzanine format.

Therefore a new IMF Application — more oriented towards the specific needs and workflows of broadcasters — is needed.

Last year, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) started an IMF-TV workgroup, led by the BBC’s Andy Quested. This group studies the applicability of IMF for the main broadcaster use cases.

“There was no need to reinvent the wheel,” says Andy Quested. “IMF already closely aligns with broadcaster needs for mastering and versioning for international exchange. Also many of the new proposals are a 1:1 fit with broadcaster requirements. What we want to do is literally sit the IMF workflows on top of our existing content infrastructures, which is why we are looking at a new Application.”

EBU's Hans Hoffmann, Head of Media Fundamentals and Production Technology, stated: "We are very supportive of IMF as a mastering format. The principles developed in the cinema industry are equally applicable in broadcasting, hence the work we are doing in the EBU IMF-TV group."

Marquise Technologies, a member of the IMF-TV work group, will demonstrate these new IMF-TV workflows, from mastering an IMF package in ProRes to the creation of multiple deliverables (including AS-11 DPP and iTunes packages), at their booth at this year’s NAB.

“We are leading the implementation of IMF for mastering and QC solutions, not only by adding the latest specifications for the Studio Profile or the Cinema Mezzanine Apps, but also by being the first to support OPLs and sidecars,” adds Laurence Stoll, CEO of Marquise Technology. “We know how critical it is for a film lab, a studio or a broadcaster to manage multiple versions (intermediaries and finals) of content, and we see the IMF not just as another format, but also as a protocol. Working with the EBU on using IMF for broadcast workflows and extending IMF implementations with ProRes support are the continuity of our work in that domain.”

Visit Marquise Technologies at NAB 2017

Marquise Technologies’ booth SL 12205

About Marquise Technologies

Marquise Technologies designs state-of-the-art solutions for the cinema, the television broadcast and OTT industry. The company addresses post-production facilities and digital film labs and provides them with high-end solutions for image processing, mastering and quality control for Digital Cinema & UHDTV.